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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — in sport
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. season — of the year
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chest — a box
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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