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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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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: hide · cap · drill · pound · wound · mug · vault · stem

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — a face
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wound — an injury
  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