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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rule — a law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pop — soda

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