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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.

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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. content — the amount
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — happy
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — on a finger

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