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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · spring · board · mine · vault · chest · object · wake

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — for digging
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — an aim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. vault — a safe
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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