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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: straw · rock · safe · vault · fork · bowl · roll · content

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — happy
  17. roll — a list
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rock — music
  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