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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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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: club · tear · rock · hide · vault · pit · fine · wound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. club — a group
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — to rip
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — all right
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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