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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 120 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: hide · pass · vault · lean · chip · tube

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lean — to rest against

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