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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: shower · face · safe · net · season · kid · suit · racket

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. kid — to tease
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — in sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. net — for catching
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. face — part of the head
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — child
  20. net — after costs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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