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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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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 · wave · leaves · lash · present · bear · safe · ground

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. present — there
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. content — the amount
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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