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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — in control
  12. drill — army training
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — certain
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — obliged

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