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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 · club · bay · cell · rest · kid · cold · safe

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rest — a break
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — a group
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cold — an illness
  14. club — for golf
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — child

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