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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wind — moving air
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. file — a line of people
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a document
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. content — the amount
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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