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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. object — to protest
  3. staff — a stick
  4. present — the time now
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — a gift
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. object — a thing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. present — there
  17. content — happy
  18. shower — rain
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — a safe
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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