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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. bowl — a football final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. clip — for paper
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — the most important part
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bulb — for light

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