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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: leaves · last · rest · bound · stem · mouse · vault · sharp

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. last — final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bound — obliged
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — of a plant
  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