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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: kick · track · rash · last · chair · vault · content · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. last — finally
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. content — the amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — to go on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rash — a series
  22. last — final
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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