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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — the amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stem — to come from
  16. clip — a video
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — happy
  24. vault — a safe

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