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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.

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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bat — the animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — a face
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — a stick
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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