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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — for catching
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — a measure
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — a strongbox

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