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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: can · bear · safe · rest · vault · track · fan · chest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. vault — a safe
  10. can — to be able to
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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