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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · charge · object · safe · wind · mate

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — an aim
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a friend
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — to protest
  18. wind — moving air

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