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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.

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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — to rob
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — music
  10. mug — a face
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — to confront
  14. game — wild animals
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — to visit

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