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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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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: wave · vault · safe · rock · race · net · content · perch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. 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. content — videos and posts
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — a safe
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — a stone
  17. race — a contest
  18. content — the amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — in sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. 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