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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. content — the amount
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. content — happy
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. season — in sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chair — a professorship

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