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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — happy
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — for baseball
  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