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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — hurry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — the amount
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — to cool the air

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