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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: wake · key · vault · cue · spring · content · march · safe

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — the most important part
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — a safe
  9. march — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — for a lock
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — of water
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — the season
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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