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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: vault · tube · coach · perch · lean · ground · wind · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — crushed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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