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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. vault — a safe
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. race — a contest
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. race — the arms race
  15. field — farmland
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — humankind
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. field — a subject
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — a sauce
  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