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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · mine · game · chair · rush · racket · safe · bear

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chair — to sit on

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