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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 · rest · club · object · bear · fork · vault · row

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — a thing
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — a group
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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