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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. content — the amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — music

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