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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — to tire
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — clever
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. object — a thing
  17. ground — crushed
  18. object — to protest
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a line
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — of a tree

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