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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. foot — a measure
  7. race — humankind
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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