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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: file · kid · land · vault · deal · prune · track · stem

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kid — child
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. prune — to trim
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. land — a country
  16. file — a tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — to tease
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — a big deal

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