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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 124 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — a law
  8. content — the amount
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. court — of a king
  15. chest — of your body
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rule — government
  22. mug — to rob
  23. court — for sport
  24. chest — a box

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