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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — for dancing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — letters
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — after costs

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