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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · wound · pitcher · fall · charge · bay · hide · vault

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. field — a subject
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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