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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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