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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · vault · face · straw · wind · cell

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cell — in biology
  4. vault — a safe
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. face — to point toward
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wind — moving air

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