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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: vault · rule · hide · bound · craft · track · calf · fork

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — a path
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — a law
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. craft — boats
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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