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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — a part of something

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