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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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 — out of danger
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — a path
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — a thing
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — to protest
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — a supporter
  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