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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a dance
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. content — the amount
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. content — happy
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to confront
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — to hurry

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