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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 124 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — a friend
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — to visit
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — in sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. safe — out of danger

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