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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: safe · lash · degree · can · tear · mouse · coach · content

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tear — from crying
  9. degree — from a university
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. tear — to rip
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. can — to be able to

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