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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. face — part of the head
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. content — the amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — the fish
  12. kick — in football
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. degree — an amount
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. degree — temperature
  20. content — happy
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — a strongbox

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