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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — to visit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — ground
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — soda
  18. land — to come down
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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