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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. last — final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. content — the amount
  14. wake — a trail
  15. last — to go on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kick — in football

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