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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. content — happy
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — the amount
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — for betting
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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