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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: wind · cap · vault · stick · content · deal

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — a safe
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — to handle
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wind — to turn a key

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