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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — an aim
  7. craft — a skill
  8. content — happy
  9. object — a thing
  10. content — the amount
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. object — to protest
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. safe — out of danger

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