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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. net — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — to keep track
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — a song
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — to handle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — with your hand
  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