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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. branch — a division
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. dip — to sink
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — for digging
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. firm — decided
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. branch — of a bank

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