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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. rule — government
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — a law
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rule — to rule out

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