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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — a practice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — a safe
  20. content — the amount
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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