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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — a safe
  10. staff — a stick
  11. present — the time now
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — there
  17. pitch — completely
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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