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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — happy
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — a face
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cold — not warm
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — an illness

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