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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 120 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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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: land · vault · lie · band · pit · kid · wind · charge

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a ring
  7. pit — in a race
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. band — a music group
  11. charge — electricity
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kid — to tease
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — to come down
  22. charge — a price
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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