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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · rash · cabinet · safe · content · bat · current · rest

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — the amount
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — a series
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. rash — on the skin

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