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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. band — a ring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — the fish

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