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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — for sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hand — help
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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