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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. last — final
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — finally
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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