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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: hide · rush · lie · file · land · vault · content · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — a country
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. land — ground
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lie — to recline
  20. content — happy
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — the amount

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