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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fine — high quality
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — music
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a ring
  12. fine — all right
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — a safe

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