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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. court — of law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. court — of a king
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — to tire

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