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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — boats
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. vault — a safe

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