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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · mouse · staff · vault · scale · content · craft · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. scale — size or range
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — there
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — a stick

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