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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. net — for catching
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — in sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — after costs

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