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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: net · game · spell · rash · safe · wake · bark · rush

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — a series
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — letters
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — hasty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. game — a match
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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