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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a line
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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