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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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