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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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Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — letters
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — from a university

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