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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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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: mug · vault · rash · bay · safe · drill · cold · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mug — a cup
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rash — a series
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. object — to protest
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — an illness
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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