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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: roll · cold · key · bay · current · vault · object · safe

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. key — in music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — electric
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. current — of water
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — to protest
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cold — an illness
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. roll — a list
  16. current — happening now
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — not warm
  24. key — for a lock

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