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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. content — happy
  5. net — in sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. net — for catching
  10. last — final
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. net — after costs
  16. last — finally
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — the arms race
  20. content — the amount
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — a safe

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