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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — a safe
  7. firm — steady
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — 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