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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. land — ground
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — the season
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. vault — a safe
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. land — to come down
  20. content — happy
  21. fall — to drop
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. land — a country

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