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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: safe · file · chest · craft · season · fan · vault · clip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. file — a document
  4. craft — boats
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — of the year
  8. chest — a box
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — a video
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — for paper

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