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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — a group
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — an illness
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rush — hurry

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