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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: saw · cabinet · fork · rock · present · hide · vault · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — music
  21. present — the time now
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. saw — the tool

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