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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: safe · drill · court · rush · vault · pass · present · tube

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. drill — army training
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — of law
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — there
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tube — a container
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — the time now

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