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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — happy
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cue — for pool

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