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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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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: lash · current · hide · lean · deal · press · vault · stand

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — electric
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — happening now
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to rest against

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