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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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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: hand · vault · arm · last · track · safe · bore · board

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — final
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. board — a committee
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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