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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. key — in music

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