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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
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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 · jam · hand · track · chip · vault · degree · face

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. hand — help
  7. track — a path
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — for betting

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