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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kid — child
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — the season
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — for catching
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kid — to tease
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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