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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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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: date · land · mine · safe · fan · fine · nail · vault

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — for digging
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — ground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. vault — a safe
  23. safe — out of danger
  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