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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: shower · vault · safe · trunk · racket · race · bound · season

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. season — in sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — humankind
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bound — certain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of a car

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