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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. net — for catching
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — after costs
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. key — in music
  24. can — to be able to

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