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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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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 · row · stick · net · tear · bear · mine · fine

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — all right
  21. mine — for digging
  22. row — a line
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — an explosive

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