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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 116 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: safe · vault · tear · hide · pound · bass

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bass — low music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — to keep secret

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