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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hand · hide · saw · mark · lean · board · safe

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hand — in cards
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — to bend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — help

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