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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 · board · rest · content · chest · present · drill · suit

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chest — a box
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — happy
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — there
  14. suit — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. drill — a practice
  22. present — a gift
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — a flat piece

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