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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. net — after costs
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — the earth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — a price
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — a position
  24. suit — to fit

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