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

Word bank: vault · safe · file · chip · coach · race

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. file — a document
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. file — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — the arms race
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chip — to eat

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