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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.

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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: hand · net · vault · wound · scale · pop · can · hide

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — soda
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pop — music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. scale — in music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — after costs

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