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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 116 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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. staff — a stick
  4. present — there
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — to get on
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — from a university
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — a line
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. staff — employees

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