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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.

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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: vault · row · plane · safe · content · track · ruler · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. content — the amount
  8. cell — a phone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a path
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. vault — a safe
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a line
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. track — a song
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — to keep track

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