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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rule — government
  3. vault — a safe
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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