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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · bark · vault · mine · hide · tube · bear · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — of the year

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