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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. last — finally
  6. kid — child
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — certain
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — a group
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — final
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kid — to tease
  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