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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: rock · hand · lean · vault · cabinet · hide · scale · spring

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hand — help
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — of water

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