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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — the time now
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. staff — employees
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — there
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — of the year
  24. rash — hasty

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