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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. drill — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — a series
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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