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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — a coil
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. staff — a stick
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a song
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. track — a path

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