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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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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: hide · ground · kid · date · cabinet · branch · jam · vault

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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