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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — a series
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rush — hurry

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