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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: bear · safe · pit · cell · content · sharp · spell · tear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — a hole
  13. content — happy
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spell — letters
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — to put up with

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