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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 124 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. content — happy
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — the amount
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — electricity

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