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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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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: vault · bowl · rash · content · mark · safe · cell · rush

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — a series
  24. mark — to pay attention

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