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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.

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 · chair · dip · spell · safe · face · drill · tear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — army training
  5. face — to point toward
  6. content — the amount
  7. spell — letters
  8. tear — to rip
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. drill — a practice
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — to confront
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — to sink
  24. safe — out of danger

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