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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 · chip · chest · bore · land · last · safe · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — final
  11. land — to come down
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. chest — a box
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — ground
  20. chest — of your body
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chest — of your 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