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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · march · content · board · safe · lash · cap · sharp

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. content — happy
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a committee
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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