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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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — hasty
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rash — a series
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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