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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 116 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — to paddle
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. content — the amount
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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