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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — to go away

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