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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — the amount
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. key — in music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pound — a weight
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — music

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