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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · wake · vault · stem · patient · wound · can · rash

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — to be able to
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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