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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: saw · safe · prune · fan · stand · can · vault · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — to trim

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