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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — after costs
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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