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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — happy

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