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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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