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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 · coach · lie · snap · face · wound · chip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to confront
  7. content — the amount
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wound — an injury
  14. content — happy
  15. chip — to eat
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — to recline
  23. safe — out of danger
  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