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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 120 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: mug · hand · content · firm · chip · fork · lean · vault

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. mug — a face
  21. vault — a safe
  22. content — happy
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hand — in cards

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