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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: lean · wound · foot · snap · roll · safe · plane · vault

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — thin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. roll — a list
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to click
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — a cake
  24. safe — a strongbox

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