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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: content · safe · stick · spell · sharp · coach · tear · mouse

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — the amount
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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