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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: rock · vault · field · stand · dip · wind · bay · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. dip — to sink
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. field — for sport
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — moving air

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