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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: hide · straw · vault · bat · safe · sharp · race · rush

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. race — humankind

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