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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. court — of a king
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. ball — a dance
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — finally
  22. vault — a safe
  23. board — a committee
  24. ball — a round shape

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