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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — to point toward
  10. court — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — of the year
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — clever
  17. content — happy
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. court — of law
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — part of the head

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