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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. firm — a company
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — the amount
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — a trail

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