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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: hide · stick · vault · shower · pit · track · saw · bulb

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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