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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — the amount
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spring — a coil
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. content — happy

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