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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: bass · ruler · vault · straw · safe · file · charge · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. file — a tool
  3. kid — child
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a line of people
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a document
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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