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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a list
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — the amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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