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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. shower — rain
  3. content — the amount
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. content — happy
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — to breed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. court — of law

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