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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — final
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. last — finally
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hide — animal skin

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