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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · land · current · hide · fine · field · saw · vault

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. current — happening now
  3. file — a document
  4. land — a country
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — all right
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — of water
  19. file — a line of people
  20. land — ground
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a tool

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