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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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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: lash · spring · rock · foot · content · kid · safe · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kid — child
  3. content — happy
  4. spring — the season
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — a stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rock — music
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. sharp — with an edge

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