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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · foot · lash · bulb · court · safe · mine · nail

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. court — of law
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. court — for sport
  11. content — happy
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. content — the amount
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — for light

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