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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 116 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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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: saw · vault · file · race · safe · perch · land · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — humankind
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — the arms race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. file — a document
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. rush — hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. race — a contest
  23. land — a country
  24. vault — a safe

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