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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: capital · vault · lie · trunk · chest · stock · hide · net

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stock — goods
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chest — of your body
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — animal skin

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