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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: last · bay · vault · arm · safe · court

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. last — to go on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — of a king
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. last — final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — part of the body

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