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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. craft — boats
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — army training
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — the amount

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