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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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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: kid · wound · bay · spring · safe · perch · date · vault

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — a safe
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wound — an injury

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