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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 120 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 · pass · vault · lean · chip · tube · wound · wave

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — for betting

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