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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: sharp · jam · bat · root · safe · vault · race · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. race — the arms race
  6. vault — a safe
  7. root — of a word
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bat — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — the cause
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. race — humankind
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. shower — to wash
  23. race — a contest
  24. safe — a strongbox

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