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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 116 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: ball · vault · clip · coach · rest · mouse · trunk · safe

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — a video
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — a safe
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a dance
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a round shape

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