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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bat · current · vault · can · safe · content · stick · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — magic
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — a safe
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. current — of water
  13. content — the amount
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. content — videos and posts

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