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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — a price
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — certain
  10. content — happy
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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