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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — in football
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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