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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: vault · wave · content · fall · racket · fine · foot · can

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. content — the amount
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — a measure
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — the season
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fall — to drop

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