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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kid — child
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a line of people
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. net — in sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a document
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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