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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — a short time
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. present — there
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — happy
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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