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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — child
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — happy
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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