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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: deal · mate · safe · bulb · wound · suit · vault · field

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a friend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. field — for sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — an agreement

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