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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.

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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: lean · rush · vault · cap · fork · ruler · content · foot

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lean — thin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — to bend
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — in a road

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