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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · object · roll · rock · bear · cabinet · file

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rock — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. object — a thing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a document
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — a list

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