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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: toast · vault · hand · chest · calf · prune · cabinet · safe

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. toast — bread
  11. hand — help
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chest — a box
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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