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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: content · hide · vault · object · wind · last

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — happy
  17. object — to protest
  18. vault — a safe

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