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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spring — the season
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. object — a thing
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — a permit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a great time
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. deal — to handle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — of water
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — to succeed

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