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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: kid · straw · vault · plane · rush · safe · pitcher · race

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — child
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — a safe
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — to tease
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. straw — a straw man
  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