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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: vault · spring · toast · hide · object · mark · pitcher · safe

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — of water
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. toast — bread
  16. mark — a trace
  17. object — a thing
  18. vault — a safe
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spring — a coil

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