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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — a box
  9. content — the amount
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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