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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 116 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: wake · track · mine · vault · current · lash · ball · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. current — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. current — electric
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. current — happening now
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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