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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · bound · wind · drill · safe · squash · vault · fine

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fine — high quality
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bound — certain
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. key — for a lock
  20. drill — army training
  21. key — in music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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