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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · straw · fan · can · cabinet · content · arm · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. content — happy
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — the amount
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wake — a trail

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