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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — happy
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — a song
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — low music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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