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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — a coil
  4. can — to be able to
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spring — the season
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — a series
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — the amount
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. content — happy
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rash — hasty

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