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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — letters
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. key — in music
  6. fall — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. content — the amount

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