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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · track · spring · trunk · tube · patient · vault · safe

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a song
  16. spring — the season
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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