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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: field · spell · sharp · safe · can · shower · rest · content

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — a short time

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