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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire

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