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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — a tin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — finally
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — for digging
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. last — final
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — happy
  24. last — to go on

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