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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.

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 · rest · calf · key · hand · tube · mine · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hand — help
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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