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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. object — an aim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. object — to protest

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