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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — child
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. content — the amount
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fall — to drop

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