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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: vault · leaves · stock · court · nail · lean · rush · track

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stock — shares
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a song
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of a king
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — for sport
  21. track — a path
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to bend

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