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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — a hat
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tear — to rip
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — a weight
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. cap — a lid

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