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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: content · safe · lie · dip · deal · snap · bat · jam

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — to sink
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. content — happy
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lie — an untruth

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