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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: fork · hand · cabinet · content · safe · staff · bound · can

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — in a road
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — help
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — employees
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bound — obliged
  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