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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · bear · wind · safe · object · season · vault · nail

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. object — a thing
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — a safe

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