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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: bear · vault · cell · mark · net · rest · pass · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cell — in biology
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — for catching
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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