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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · net · present · safe · tube · roll · court · fall

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — there
  11. court — of law
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. court — for sport

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