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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — a signal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lean — thin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cue — for pool

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