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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · field · rock · vault · swing · cell · leaves · rule

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — government
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — a subject
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rock — a stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com