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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
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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 · bear · mouse · pass · degree · ground · vault · last

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — a position
  7. degree — from a university
  8. last — finally
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — the earth

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