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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. last — finally
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — the time now
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wake — a trail
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. last — final
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. row — to paddle
  21. present — there
  22. last — to go on
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — a safe

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