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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 120 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 · fan · spring · fork · board · root · vault · clip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — of a word
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — to get on
  21. clip — a video
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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