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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a grade

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