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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. net — for catching
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wound — an injury

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