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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — an aim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — happy
  24. chair — a leader

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