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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — finally
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — a city
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rash — a series
  24. stand — to bear

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