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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. content — happy
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rest — a break
  11. clip — for paper
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. clip — a video
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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