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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — shares
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stock — goods
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pit — a hole

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