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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.

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: current · craft · vault · clip · bat · rash · safe · calf

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. craft — boats
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rash — a series
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — electric
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bat — in an idiom

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