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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — a group
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — a line
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — for golf
  24. safe — a strongbox

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