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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — a series
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. content — the amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fork — to eat with

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