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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: bowl · mug · bat · vault · hide · press · wave · cold

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mug — to rob
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. press — to push
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — an illness
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mug — a cup

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