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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. net — after costs
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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