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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. season — in sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. race — the arms race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — a contest
  21. wake — a trail
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — before a funeral

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