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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. key — the most important part
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — for catching
  14. court — of law
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. present — the time now
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — a gift
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — for sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — for a hammer

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