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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: pop · vault · spell · staff · rush · ruler · nail · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — happy
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — letters
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — videos and posts

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