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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · mug · lie · hide · pop · file · land · vault

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. pop — music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mug — a cup
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — to recline
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. land — ground

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