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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — in sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a match
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — rain
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — out of danger

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