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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: coach · deal · vault · object · hide · saw · kick · stock

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — an aim
  21. stock — shares
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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