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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 116 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.

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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — of the year
  5. march — the month
  6. object — an aim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — a thing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. march — music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. content — the amount
  20. march — the month
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — in sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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