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

Word bank: safe · hide · stick · net · cabinet · bay

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. net — for catching
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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