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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — to cut
  9. key — the most important part
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. key — for a lock
  15. root — the cause
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. root — of a word
  24. safe — out of danger

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