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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 · temple · track · race · swing · wind · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — a song
  5. swing — to play on
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. wind — moving air
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — a place of worship

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