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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: content · prune · chest · tube · stand · staff · ruler · vault

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chest — a box
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — a stick

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