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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — a division
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chest — a box
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. season — of the year
  16. chest — of your body
  17. content — the amount
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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