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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.

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: track · net · squash · land · hide · lean · rule · vault

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rule — government
  4. squash — to crush
  5. land — ground
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a path
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — a song
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — for catching
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — a country
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — to keep track

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