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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 120 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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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: saw · calf · vault · safe · file · capital · content · bank

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. capital — a city
  6. file — a document
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — happy
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — money
  18. file — a tool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a line of people
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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