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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 · kick · staff · racket · pit · spring · hide · vault

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. kick — in football
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — a country
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — ground
  24. kick — with a leg

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