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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. capital — money
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — all right
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — a safe
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. chair — a professorship

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