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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: hide · row · trunk · snap · vault · bay · fine · shower

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to click
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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