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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. roll — a list
  11. kid — to tease
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. drill — army training
  21. cold — not warm
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bear — the animal

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