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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. degree — temperature
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — animal skin

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