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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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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: current · safe · vault · bowl · spring · stand · capital · arm

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — a city
  8. current — electric
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — of water
  17. capital — money
  18. current — happening now
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stand — on your feet

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