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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: mouse · net · safe · fall · object · wind · ground · last

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — final
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — an aim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — the animal

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