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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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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: foot · hide · bore · chip · lie · field · vault · branch

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. field — a subject
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — a division
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bore — to tire

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