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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
468
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: safe · arm · cabinet · spell · wound · fan · key · vault

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — a short time
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — a safe
  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