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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. content — happy
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. toast — bread
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ball — a great time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. content — the amount

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