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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: root · fine · vault · cold · safe · clip · rush · ball

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a great time
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fine — high quality
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. root — the cause
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. root — of a word
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a dance

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