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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spring — a coil
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. face — to confront
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — the fruit
  19. content — happy
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. content — the amount

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