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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — a series
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — boats
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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