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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — a group
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — of a river
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mine — for digging
  15. club — for golf
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stand — for spectators

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