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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. object — to protest
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mug — a face
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ball — a dance
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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