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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mate — a partner
  6. content — the amount
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. content — happy
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — a friend
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pitch — completely

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