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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.

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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: chest · wake · snap · cabinet · vault · rush · safe · bass

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. chest — a box
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to click
  24. chest — of your body

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