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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. kick — in football
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. net — in sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — final
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — a football final

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