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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — magic
  6. vault — a safe
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — letters
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. content — happy
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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