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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — obliged
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. content — happy
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bound — certain
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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