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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to confront
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — in sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body

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