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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: wound · bulb · root · vault · hide · safe · content · rest

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — the cause
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. root — of a word
  9. rest — a break
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — the amount

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