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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · wake · pitch · bound · vault · safe · key · clip

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — in music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. clip — a video
  23. bound — certain
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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