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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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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 · race · prune · cabinet · mouse · rush · pitch · hide

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. race — a contest
  24. prune — the fruit

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