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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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