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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. content — happy
  5. cap — a hat
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — steady
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — a safe
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — of a tree

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