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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.

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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: hide · spring · firm · wake · suit · content · kick · safe

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. firm — steady
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. content — happy
  12. firm — a company
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — of water

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