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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · spring · prune · can · vault · club · nail · cold

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spring — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cold — an illness
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — not warm
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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