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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. band — a music group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. vault — a safe
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a ring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. file — a document
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — a strongbox

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