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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: bear · land · hide · dip · patient · coach · wind · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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