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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. net — after costs
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. net — for catching
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — rain

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