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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.

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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.

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: last · mine · leaves · hide · racket · wax · cabinet · vault

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mine — for digging
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. last — finally

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