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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · rash · last · vault · safe · content · calf · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. last — final

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