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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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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: bass · saw · safe · mate · bowl · vault · dip · capital

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bass — low music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — money
  24. bowl — a dish

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