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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. track — to keep track
  9. last — final
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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