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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — the amount
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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