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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a grade
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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