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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: deal · safe · key · content · bass · kick · hide · net

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — happy
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — after costs
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — in football
  21. bass — low music
  22. net — in sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. net — for catching

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