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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — of water
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. game — a match
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rush — a thrill

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