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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — a stone
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. craft — boats
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — to be able to

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