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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: ball · lean · squash · vault · sharp · safe · season · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — 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