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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: roll · hide · swing · face · shower · vault · deal · rock

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. roll — a list
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — part of the head
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to confront
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rock — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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