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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — in football
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — there
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — to protest
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. present — the time now
  20. object — an aim
  21. drill — the tool
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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