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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: hide · content · bear · lean · cell · rush · chip · vault

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — happy
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lean — thin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. content — the amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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