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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. object — an aim
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — to protest
  16. net — after costs
  17. charge — a price
  18. object — a thing
  19. last — final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a friend
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mate — to breed

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