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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: drill · vault · fork · can · mine · chest · shower · safe

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chest — a box
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — to wash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — to be able to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — army training
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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