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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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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: safe · land · tear · tube · drill · ball · vault · arm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tube — a container
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — the underground
  8. land — ground
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — to come down
  17. drill — a practice
  18. vault — a safe
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — army training
  24. arm — part of the body

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