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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: land · rule · staff · saw · vault · firm · roll · bay

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. staff — a stick
  3. firm — steady
  4. rule — a law
  5. firm — a company
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — a list
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — ground
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — government
  17. roll — a cake
  18. firm — decided
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — a country
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rule — to rule out

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