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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — in football
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — a song
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — to keep track
  20. face — to confront
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — for catching
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a path

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