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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mate — a friend
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — to put up with

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