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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — for pool
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. cue — a signal
  9. craft — boats
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — to trim

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