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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: hide · drill · field · wind · rock · staff · vault · arm

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. vault — a safe
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — farmland
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wind — moving air
  10. drill — army training
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — for sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. rock — a stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. drill — a practice
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — music
  23. field — a subject
  24. arm — part of the 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