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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · wave · season · vault · content · hide · stem · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. season — in sport
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. content — happy
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — the amount
  16. season — of the year
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. content — videos and posts

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