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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. content — the amount
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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