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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. march — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. march — the month
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. march — the month
  24. perch — for a bird

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