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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — final
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. spring — a coil
  12. staff — a stick
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — of your body

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