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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — finally
  16. tear — to rip
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. content — happy
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — bread
  24. content — videos and posts

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