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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. content — happy
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — a thing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — the amount
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rest — what's left

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