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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. ground — the earth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. capital — money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — a city

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