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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 124 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. march — the month
  15. content — the amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. march — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. drill — army training
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — a practice
  24. content — videos and posts

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