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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
468
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: safe · sharp · lean · content · pound · bowl · fan · arm

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. content — the amount
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — happy
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lean — to bend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fan — to cool the air

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