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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: hand · kid · bank · hide · vault · root · fan · object

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. object — a thing
  3. bank — of a river
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hand — help
  10. kid — to tease
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kid — child
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bank — for money

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