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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. sharp — clever
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — happy
  23. safe — out of danger
  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