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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. board — a committee
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — final
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — to get on
  17. content — the amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. last — finally
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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