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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lie — to recline
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — for a hammer

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