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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — there
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. content — happy
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — the time now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — a safe

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