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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · bass · hide · wave · last · stock · vault · patient

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bass — low music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. last — finally
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. last — final
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. last — to go on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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