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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bound — tied together
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. content — happy
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — music
  24. chip — for betting

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