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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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