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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: hand · track · vault · kick · firm · mate · wake · cabinet

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. track — a song
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. firm — decided
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — a trail

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