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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 · hide · rule · vault · hand · root · band · bear

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. root — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rule — a law
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — government
  24. track — to keep track

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