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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — rain
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chest — of your body
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — a box

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