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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — the fish
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chip — for betting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — the amount
  15. face — part of the head
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — to point toward
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — a short time

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