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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — happy
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. row — to paddle
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — a break
  18. row — a line
  19. content — the amount
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — what's left

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