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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · ball · coach · safe · lean · tear · last · scale

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — to bend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. last — final
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — to rip
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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