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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: game · safe · current · tear · vault · wound · stand · object

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — a match
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wound — an injury
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — happening now
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — a safe
  17. current — of water
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. current — electric
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wound — an injury

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