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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 · stem · tear · bear · present · safe

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tear — to rip
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger

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