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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — child
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. dip — to dunk

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