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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: fall · last · coach · safe · straw · hide · vault · chip

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. last — to go on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — a strongbox

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