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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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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: mug · bass · hide · vault · foot · stem · wind · pop

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pop — music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. foot — a measure
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — low music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pop — soda

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