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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — there
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — a gift
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — thin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. clip — for paper
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a dance

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