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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: pass · squash · mine · lean · pit · stem · vault · content

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. content — happy
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. content — the amount
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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