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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — magic
  7. kick — in football
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — letters
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rock — music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wax — in the ear

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