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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a document
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — happy
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. season — of the year
  17. file — a line of people
  18. sharp — exactly

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