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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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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: cue · trunk · charge · content · dip · safe · row · deal

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — in control
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. charge — a price

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