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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 120 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: lean · safe · rash · root · vault · band · track · fine

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — of a word
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — a safe
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a music group
  16. rash — hasty
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — a series

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