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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. content — the amount
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a match
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rock — 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