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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 120 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: chair · leaves · season · tube · fine · sharp · band · vault

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — all right
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — in sport
  14. band — a music group
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tube — a container
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — high quality

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