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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 116 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
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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: wax · wound · safe · trunk · rush · vault · ball · content

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. content — happy
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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