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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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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 · band · chest · drill · vault · land · suit · ruler

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — to come down
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — a safe
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chest — a box
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. drill — army training
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chest — of your body

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