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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. snap — to click
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — for catching
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. safe — out of danger

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