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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tear — to rip
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. content — happy
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — there
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — a tin

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