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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
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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: ball · vault · cap · fan · trunk · wound · net · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. net — for catching

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