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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ground — crushed
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — a position
  18. mate — a friend
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hide — animal skin

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