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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — low music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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