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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — the time now
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — there
  6. court — of law
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — happy
  15. race — the arms race
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — to cut
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — for sport
  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