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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — a leader
  7. net — after costs
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — to sink
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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