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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. content — the amount
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — happy
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. staff — employees
  17. last — finally
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. spell — magic
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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