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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. object — to protest
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — a container
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — the underground
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. root — of a word
  18. content — the amount
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. object — an aim
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. toast — the most admired

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