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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: arm · content · saw · vault · can · lie · club · pit

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pit — a hole
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — a group
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. can — a tin
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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