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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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Word bank
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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: land · track · cold · safe · mate · lean · bay · vault

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cold — an illness
  5. land — a country
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — not warm
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — ground
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lean — thin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — a partner

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