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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — a safe
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — of ice
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — to breed
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fall — the season

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