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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.

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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: land · band · vault · rest · dip · track · hide · arm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. track — a path
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — to come down
  18. rest — a break
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — ground
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — what's left

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