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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mark — a trace
  8. march — the month
  9. stand — to bear
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pit — in a race
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mark — a grade
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. shower — rain
  23. march — music
  24. pit — a hole

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