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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pit — in a race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. present — there

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