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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. capital — a city
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. drill — the tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. drill — army training
  22. capital — money
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — videos and posts

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