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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — happy
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. content — the amount
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — to get on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. face — to confront
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — to roll

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