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

Word bank: row · club · kick · content · safe · tear

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tear — to rip
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — a line
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — in football
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. content — happy
  18. tear — from crying

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