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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.

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 · mug · vault · safe · wound · mate · stock · pound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — a cup
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a friend

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