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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — in sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — decided
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — after costs
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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