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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — clever
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. season — to add flavour

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