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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. content — the amount
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rash — a series
  11. date — the fruit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. content — happy
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. row — a line
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rash — on the 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