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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. craft — boats
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — clever
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — a practice
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. craft — a skill
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — a place of worship

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