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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — low music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — happy
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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