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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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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — happening now
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. current — of water
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. bark — to shout

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