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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 · snap · chip · hide · mine · bound · rock · drill

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — certain
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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