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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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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: wave · cold · bound · bear · cabinet · ground · vault · hide

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bound — obliged
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ground — a position
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ground — crushed
  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