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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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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 · jam · race · safe · mouse · temple · bat · hand

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. race — a contest
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. race — humankind
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bat — the animal

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