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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. roll — a list
  7. bat — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a cake
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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