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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. net — for catching

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