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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: kid · bank · stand · bear · snap · hide · vault · rock

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — child
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. snap — to click

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