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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. charge — in control
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — in sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — a list
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — for catching

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