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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — of water
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. sharp — clever
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — the arms race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — humankind
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. shower — rain
  19. spring — the season
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — certain

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