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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.

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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — an injury

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