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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: vault · land · tear · ruler · present · mark · field · hide

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — to come down
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — for sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. field — a subject
  11. land — ground
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — there
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — the time now
  23. land — a country
  24. present — a gift

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