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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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