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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — a thing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. object — an aim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — a container

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