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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — goods
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — a safe
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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