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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rock — to move gently

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