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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: content · squash · chair · vault · wound · mark · arm · can

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chair — a leader
  14. squash — to crush
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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