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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. content — happy
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — the amount
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — to bend
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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