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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — happy
  12. capital — money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kid — child
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. content — the amount
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — a horse colour

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