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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. drill — a practice
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — government
  6. net — in sport
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cold — not warm
  10. present — there
  11. content — happy
  12. net — after costs
  13. drill — army training
  14. content — the amount
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — a law
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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