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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · hide · pop · content · mine · ruler · vault · game

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — music
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pop — to visit
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pop — soda
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. content — the amount
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mine — belonging to me

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