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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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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: hide · safe · kick · staff · tube · chair · prune · vault

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — in football
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chair — a professorship

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