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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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Word bank
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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: bat · mate · racket · land · leaves · vault · hide · wake

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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