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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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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: safe · mate · deal · ball · net · nail · snap · row

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mate — to breed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mate — a friend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — a line
  24. net — in 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