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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: bear · mine · dip · kick · safe · content · prune · ball

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. content — the amount
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — in football
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — happy
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. prune — the fruit

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