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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rock — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — of the year
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — a song
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a path
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. season — in sport

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