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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 120 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: foot · bulb · cap · vault · pop · hide · content · squash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — happy
  23. cap — a hat
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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