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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rule — a law
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rule — government
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — rain
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — for sport
  24. leaves — to go away

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