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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.

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 · bore · spell · rash · craft · cabinet · straw · safe

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — boats
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. spell — letters
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — magic
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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