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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.

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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: can · pop · object · net · rest · content · safe · wound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — the amount
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — in sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — happy
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — to visit

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