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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 120 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: dip · content · tube · craft · chair · safe · cold · board

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. cold — not warm
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. content — happy
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a skill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cold — an illness
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tube — a container
  24. craft — boats

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