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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 · rock · safe · kid · field · dip · leaves · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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. kid — to tease
  4. field — for sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a line
  9. field — a subject
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — child
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. field — farmland
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — for catching
  24. rock — to move gently

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