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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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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 · bulb · bowl · wind · vault · straw · content · fine

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fine — all right
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bulb — for light

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