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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. vault — a safe
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a skill
  14. roll — a cake
  15. land — ground
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — to come down
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a list
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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