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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — a break
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — a safe
  24. trunk — of a tree

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