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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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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: wave · vault · chest · hide · season · mark · pit · wind

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — of the year
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — a box
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chest — of your body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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