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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: lean · bear · leaves · safe · bass · net · rash · spring

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. spring — the season
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rash — on the skin

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