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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spell — letters
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to confront
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fork — to eat with

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