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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. net — for catching
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — in a road
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — in sport

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