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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — a break
  10. content — happy
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. content — the amount
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — videos and posts

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