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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: net · sharp · wound · fine · leaves · squash · vault · foot

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fine — high quality
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — in sport
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. vault — a safe

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