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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. last — finally
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. last — final
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cold — an illness
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — not warm
  24. kick — a thrill

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