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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cap — a hat
  21. content — the amount
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — for measuring

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