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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — of a word
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — a price
  6. fall — to drop
  7. toast — bread
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fall — to drop

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