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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. content — the amount
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. swing — to play on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wind — moving air

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