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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. suit — to fit
  5. net — after costs
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. net — for catching
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — in cards
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — in sport
  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