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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — an aim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wind — moving air
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wind — moving air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — a safe
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — to keep secret

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