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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. degree — an amount
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cap — a lid
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cap — of ice
  15. content — the amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — from a university

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