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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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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: key · safe · present · vault · ruler · tear · patient · pit

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tear — to rip
  15. present — the time now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a hole
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pit — in a race

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