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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 116 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: net · cap · spell · vault · content · nail · safe · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — for catching
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — soda
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — after costs
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — letters

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