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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: dip · bear · prune · cap · key · chest · vault · hide

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. key — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chest — of your body
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — the most important part
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cap — of ice
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chest — a box
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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