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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — the season
  12. content — the amount
  13. lie — to recline
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — videos and posts

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