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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: fan · vault · bowl · fine · wound · straw · safe · pit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fine — high quality
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a dish

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