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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: content · spell · vault · arm · last · plane · fall · can

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — letters
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — a safe
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — finally
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. content — the amount
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — final
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — in geometry

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