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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. clip — for paper
  5. content — the amount
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — a lid
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to drill
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. clip — to cut
  19. root — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — to tire

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