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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: safe · chest · stem · net · track · vault · squash · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — after costs
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — to crush
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — of the sea

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