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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: vault · rock · club · hide · object · tear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. club — a group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — to rip
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. club — for dancing
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — to protest
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — music

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