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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mate — a partner

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