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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — a lid
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cap — a hat
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. content — happy
  24. bass — low music

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