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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pop — to visit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pop — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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