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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — happy
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — the amount
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. firm — steady
  24. jam — in traffic

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