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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.

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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: lean · vault · season · key · current · leaves · mine · straw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. key — in music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — happening now
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lean — to bend
  21. season — of the year
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — electric
  24. season — to add flavour

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