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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 · leaves · march · roll · stick · hide · track · lash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — a safe
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. roll — a list
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a cake
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — to lash out

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