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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — decided
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wax — to grow
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wax — in the ear

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