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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: bat · safe · net · mouse · bay · leaves · field · rest

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bat — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — for catching
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. net — in sport
  24. field — a subject

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