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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: stock · cell · hide · bank · coach · vault · bark · bound

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — shares
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cell — a phone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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