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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. present — a gift
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. content — the amount
  23. present — there
  24. temple — a place of worship

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