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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 124 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — help
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — part of the body

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