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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
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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: hide · season · press · file · stock · board · vault · mouse

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. season — in sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — a safe
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — to get on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. file — a document
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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