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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: safe · vault · bank · wound · chair · spring · race · pit

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — humankind
  11. bank — of a river
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. race — a contest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — the arms race
  23. spring — the season
  24. wound — an injury

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