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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: stock · bank · hide · vault · chest · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. 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. bank — for money
  2. chest — of your body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. chest — of your body
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. 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