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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · content · bore · spring · safe · rock

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rock — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — of water
  7. content — happy
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. bore — to drill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. content — the amount

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