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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — bread
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — magic
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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