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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — after costs
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cell — a phone

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