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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: fine · spell · fan · hand · vault · mark · safe · lean

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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