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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. present — there
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — a trail
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — a match
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bore — gave birth

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