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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. content — happy
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — a break
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — the bottom
  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