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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: hide · snap · vault · drill · safe · calf · press · bear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — a safe
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — newspapers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bear — the animal

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