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

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. season — of the year
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. field — farmland
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — in sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — happy
  24. season — to add flavour

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