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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. land — a country
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. land — ground
  11. shower — rain
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — happy
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — a division

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