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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — for sport
  4. fall — the season
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — an aim
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — rain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of a king
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — of law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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