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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. object — to protest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. content — happy
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — the amount
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. object — an aim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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