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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 · stem · vault · tube · jam · lash · cap · pitch

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — to come from
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — completely
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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