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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. firm — steady
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — decided
  14. charge — a price
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — an illness
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — a path
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ground — a position
  24. safe — out of danger

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