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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — happy
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. content — the amount
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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