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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: safe · staff · vault · content · rash · craft · fork · nail

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. vault — a safe
  9. content — the amount
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fork — in a road
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. staff — a stick
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — happy
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — employees

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