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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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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: safe · content · ruler · pop · cell · file

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. content — happy
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — the amount
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in biology
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document

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