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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.

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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — a safe
  5. face — to confront
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — high quality
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. face — part of the head
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — a gift

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