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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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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: hide · fork · wind · charge · wound · mark · plane · vault

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. charge — a price
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mark — a grade

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