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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — for sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stock — shares
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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