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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — happy
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — tied together
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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