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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 · patient · fork · dip · vault · firm · chair · net

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. firm — steady
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. firm — decided
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — after costs
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — in sport

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