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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: hide · vault · stock · perch · chest · snap · present · jam

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. 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. stock — shares
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. present — there
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — the time now
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chest — a box
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — goods
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. 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