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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — a box
  15. spell — a short time
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. root — the cause
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — a path

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