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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to click
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pop — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pop — to visit
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — in sport

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