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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. land — a country
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — to bend
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pop — soda
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

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