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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: squash · spring · snap · craft · object · cold · vault · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — an illness
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. object — to protest
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — the sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. object — a thing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cold — not warm
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — an aim
  21. spring — of water
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. craft — a handicraft

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