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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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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 · deal · net · clip · mouse · saw · firm · rush

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. net — after costs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. clip — a video
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — steady
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — to handle

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