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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. face — to confront
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. date — the fruit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — to point toward
  13. firm — decided
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — steady
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. plane — a tool

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