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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to click
  6. rock — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — happy
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a dance
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. trunk — of a tree

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