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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — a thing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. content — happy
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — government
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. object — to protest
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. chip — for betting

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