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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ground — a position
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. content — the amount
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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