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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.

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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 · spring · vault · prune · rush · stock · wound

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spring — a coil
  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