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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: chip · hide · wake · lean · scale · bay · vault · shower

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — to eat
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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