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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: cell · charge · rock · mate · snap · bass · content · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rock — a stone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bass — the fish
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. snap — to click
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bass — low music
  24. rock — music

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