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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: track · staff · game · vault · nail · rule · lean · wind

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. track — a song
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lean — thin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. staff — a stick
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — a law
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. game — a match
  19. vault — a safe
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. track — a path

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