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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 116 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: can · vault · leaves · game · hand · mark · bass · safe

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hand — help
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — low music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a trace
  15. game — wild animals
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. safe — a strongbox

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