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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: temple · fan · vault · rush · leaves · safe · snap · kick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kick — in football
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rush — hurry
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fan — a supporter

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