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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. shower — rain
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. squash — to crush
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — a trace
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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