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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.

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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: mate · saw · stick · content · safe · key · mark · kid

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — child
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — a grade
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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