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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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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: safe · stand · bear · vault · rest · perch · tube · field

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. tube — a container
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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