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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. last — final
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — for catching

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