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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: vault · jam · hide · track · stick · pit · chest · sharp

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. track — a path
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — a safe
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chest — of your body

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