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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: cap · content · safe · drill · pit · vault · leaves · clip

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — the amount
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. content — happy
  15. drill — army training
  16. clip — a video
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a hat
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pit — in a race
  22. clip — for paper
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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