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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 120 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: lean · vault · mug · mine · content · ruler · wax · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — to rob
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — happy
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — there
  24. mine — an explosive

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