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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: dip · safe · vault · craft · content · rush · lie · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rush — hurry
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — boats
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — happy
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — to recline
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. content — the amount
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — out of danger

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