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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · vault · rock · field · hand · track · safe · march

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rock — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a path
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. track — a song
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. march — music

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