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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cold — an illness
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — the time now
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. deal — to handle
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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