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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. band — a ring
  7. board — to get on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — for catching
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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