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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rest — a break
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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