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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. row — to paddle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a line
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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