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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — to confront
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. press — a publisher
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — newspapers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — to push
  17. last — finally
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — to go on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — final

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