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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. 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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cell — in biology
  18. 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