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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · face · content · bat · safe · stem · toast · club

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. toast — bread
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. mouse — for a computer

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