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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 · lie · chest · craft · vault · tube · drill · kick

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tube — a container
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — boats
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. drill — army training
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. drill — the tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chest — of your body
  23. land — to come down
  24. kick — a thrill

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