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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — in football
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — a law
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. content — the amount
  18. straw — dry grass

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