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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 · drill · face · hide · vault · branch · tear · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — to point toward
  3. land — ground
  4. drill — army training
  5. vault — a safe
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. track — a song
  9. land — a country
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — part of the head
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to confront
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — to keep track
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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