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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — the amount
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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