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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cold — an illness
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. present — a gift
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — the time now

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