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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · craft · spring · vault · charge · safe · clip · mine

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — a position
  3. clip — a video
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — to cut
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — crushed
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. clip — for paper
  18. charge — electricity
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — a skill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — boats
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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