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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 120 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. content — the amount
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — low music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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