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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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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: deal · lean · drill · kid · stock · vault · content · safe

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stock — goods
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. kid — child
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stock — shares
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — to bend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — the amount

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