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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. drill — a practice
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — a break
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. date — the fruit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. content — the amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — army training
  21. key — in music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — happy

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