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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: content · field · vault · wave · lash · wax · dip · safe

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — happy
  3. field — farmland
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — for sport
  16. content — the amount
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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