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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — a path
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. content — happy
  20. track — to keep track
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — a song

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