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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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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: safe · cabinet · foot · tube · kick · content · cell · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cell — a phone
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cell — in biology
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kick — in football
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. content — happy
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. foot — a measure
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tube — in a tire

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