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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.

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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: bound · hide · vault · pound · chest · bat · season · mouse

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — in sport
  24. bound — tied together

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