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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. last — final
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kick — in football
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a round shape

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