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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: vault · rule · chip · track · lie · mate · patient · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a friend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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