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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 116 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: content · wave · charge · lean · safe · rush · bat · mine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — happy
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. charge — in control
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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