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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bound — certain
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wake — a trail
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. content — happy
  12. bound — obliged
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — the amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mark — a trace
  24. safe — a strongbox

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