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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: rush · wake · safe · march · vault · kick · chip · file

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — a safe
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. march — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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