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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — to sink
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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