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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — a phone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tear — to rip
  14. content — the amount
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — the time now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cell — in biology
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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