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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 116 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
468
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: vault · stock · chair · hide · track · row · lean · tube

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — to keep track
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. track — a song

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