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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 · vault · object · plane · file · stick · cold · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a tool
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. object — an aim
  12. bound — tied together
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. object — a thing
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — to protest

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