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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. present — a gift
  2. spring — of water
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — after costs
  10. spring — a coil
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — a line
  14. present — there
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — to paddle
  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