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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. kid — to tease
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kid — child
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — happy
  14. rock — music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lean — to bend
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. last — finally
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. leaves — to go away

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