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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — for catching
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. land — ground
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. net — after costs
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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