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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. mug — a face
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — a coil
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — happy
  17. pound — a weight
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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