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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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