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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: current · leaves · vault · safe · mate · cold · bowl · straw

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. current — electric
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cold — not warm
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — happening now
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — of a tree

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