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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. net — after costs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — magic
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — of a bank

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