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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — the amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — in football
  18. rash — hasty
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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