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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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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: present · safe · jam · mine · cap · content · can · snap

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. content — happy
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — a gift
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — there
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a hat
  24. present — the time now

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