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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pit — a hole
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hand — in cards
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. content — the amount
  23. shower — rain
  24. mouse — for a computer

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