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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
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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: content · vault · sharp · game · drill · hide · net · staff

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — in sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. content — the amount
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — a stick
  24. net — after costs

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