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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 116 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: coach · file · cue · safe · season · vault · drill · tear

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — for pool
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tear — from crying
  11. file — a document
  12. drill — a practice
  13. file — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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