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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: fork · wind · stick · drill · hide · vault

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. 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. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fork — in a road
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. 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