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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.

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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: wave · safe · cap · saw · tear · net · key · board

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tear — to rip
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — of ice
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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