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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — thin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chest — a box
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. toast — bread
  23. shower — rain
  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