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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.

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: foot · date · pitcher · shower · fine · hide · safe · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fine — high quality
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. shower — rain
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — all right
  24. hide — to keep secret

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