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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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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: wound · safe · rash · bound · content · cue · row · plane

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — a series
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. row — a line
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — certain
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a signal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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