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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: stand · vault · bulb · land · spell · content · mate · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — a short time
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. content — the amount
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — to breed
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — to come down
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — happy
  19. land — ground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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