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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — the time now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. content — happy
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a lid
  12. present — a gift
  13. capital — a city
  14. present — there
  15. capital — money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. vault — a safe
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — of ice
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fine — all right
  24. hide — animal skin

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