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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — to come down
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. content — the amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. content — happy
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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