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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: chip · content · leaves · lash · cell · present · vault · pit

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. present — there
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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