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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: vault · coach · stock · chest · patient · perch · hide · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. vault — a safe
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — goods

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