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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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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: bay · bat · jam · vault · date · rest · land · rock

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rock — a stone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — ground
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — a break
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — to move gently
  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