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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — a series
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — in sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bat — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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