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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: vault · kid · hide · chest · scale · rule · suit · date

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — of your body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — in music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. suit — in cards

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