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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — happy
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. suit — clothes
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — in cards
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. clip — a video
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — a grade
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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