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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: hide · date · season · club · face · vault · pass · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for golf
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. club — a group
  9. season — in sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — for dancing
  14. race — the arms race
  15. season — of the year
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — a safe
  19. date — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — a permit

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