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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 124 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. hand — help
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. clip — for paper
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — for dancing
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — part of the body

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