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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. content — happy
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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