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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 120 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
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: bass · safe · content · cue · craft · staff · fall · bound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — certain
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — boats
  12. cue — a signal
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — low music
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — happy
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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