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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — of the year
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — a box
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — 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