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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — for digging
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. content — the amount
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. fine — high quality
  24. content — happy

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