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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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