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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. land — to come down
  19. hand — in cards
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — animal skin

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