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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: stand · leaves · season · vault · arm · suit · chip · tube

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chip — to eat
  10. suit — in cards
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — clothes
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — in sport
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. tube — a container

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