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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — hurry
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — a big deal

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